Helmet with built-in storage compartment and method

ABSTRACT

A helmet ( 24 ) having a built-in storage compartment ( 7 ) located beneath an exterior shell ( 2 ) of the helmet ( 24 ). The helmet ( 24 ), which may be a helmet ( 24 ) used in sporting activities or for work purposes, has interior shell ( 23 ) adapted to engage a head of a user, a front portion ( 3 ), a rear portion ( 4 ) and a first side ( 5 ) and an opposing second side ( 6 ). At least one storage compartment ( 7 ) is located between the exterior shell ( 2 ) and the interior shell ( 23 ) wherein the storage compartment ( 7 ) is predeterminedly sized and predeterminedly shaped. The storage compartment ( 7 ) has a base ( 8 ) and preferably four sides ( 9, 10, 11  and  12 ) extending from the base ( 8 ) which intersect with the exterior shell ( 2 ) to form the storage compartment ( 7 ). A cover ( 13 ) is secured to the helmet exterior shell ( 2 ) and is predeterminedly sized and shaped so as to substantially cover the storage compartment ( 7 ). A securing means ( 16 ), which may be a push button ( 17 ) or rotatable flange ( 27 ), retains the cover ( 13 ) in a closed position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to helmets, more particularly, a helmet with abuilt-in storage compartment which permits a user to carry variousobjects, such as cellular telephones, keys, money, etc. within thecompartment.

Currently, individuals engaged in physical activities wherein the use ofa helmet is recommended or required, such as when skateboarding,bicycling, rollerblading or participating in other sports activities,typically do not carry personal objects, such as cellular telephones,keys, money, etc. on his/her person for several reasons.

Whenever a person is participating in a sporting activity, the use ofhis/her hands is limited, thus preventing the person from holding theobjects. Therefore, many individuals find it desirable to carry theobjects in his/her pockets. However, if the individual is participatingin a sport which may result in the person falling or being injured,there is a risk that the objects in the pocket will also become damaged.In addition, there is a risk that the objects in the pocket will fallout when the person is participating in the sport. Thus, manyindividuals simply do not carry personal objects in his/her pockets whenparticipating in various sports.

In addition, if the person is wearing clothing without pockets, such asa uniform or bicycle shorts, the option of carrying objects in his/herpockets is eliminated. Although fanny packs or backpacks may be used inlieu of pockets to carry items, many individuals find wearing theseitems cumbersome and inhibit the individuals movement.

If the individual does not carry the objects in his/her pocket or in afanny pack or backpack on himself/herself, he/she oftentimes leaves theobjects in a remote location adjacent to the area where he/she isparticipating in a sport. However, if the objects are left unattended,the opportunity for theft is greatly increased.

As the person is wearing a helmet while participating in the sportsactivity, it would be efficient to utilize a helmet having a built-instorage compartment to permit the user to carry various objects, such ascellular telephones, keys, money, etc. within the compartment.

The relevant prior art includes the following references:

U.S. Pat. No. (U.S. unless stated otherwise) Inventor Issue/PublicationDate 3,496,575 Neckermann et al. Feb. 24, 1970 4,744,106 Wang May 17,1988 5,508,900 Norman Apr. 16, 1996 2004/0226079 Rainey Nov. 18, 20042002/0157173 Murasko et al. Oct. 31, 2002 3,750,192 Beresic Aug. 07,1973 3,765,031 Beresic Oct. 16, 1973 5,193,226 Mortenson Mar. 16, 1993

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment which permits a user to carry variousobjects, such as cellular telephones, keys, money, etc. within thecompartment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment that protects a wearer's head from injury.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment that is easy to use.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a helmetwith built-in storage compartment that is attractive in appearance.

The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providinga helmet with built-in storage compartment having the built-in storagecompartment located beneath an exterior shell of the helmet. The helmet,which may be a helmet used in sporting activities or for work purposes,has an interior shell adapted to engage a head of a user, a frontportion, a rear portion and a first side and an opposing second side. Atleast one storage compartment is located between the exterior shell andthe interior shell wherein the storage compartment is predeterminedlysized and predeterminedly shaped. The storage compartment has a base andat least one side extending from the base which intersect with theexterior shell to form the storage compartment. A cover is secured tosaid helmet exterior shell and is predeterminedly sized and shaped so asto substantially cover the storage compartment. A securing means, whichmay be a push button or rotatable flange, retains the cover in a closedposition.

The helmet may be one typically used in sports, such as skateboarding,bicycling, rollerblading, wherein the helmet includes straps, or inother sports wherein the helmet does not include straps, such asbaseball. In addition, the helmet maybe a helmet typically used in theconstruction field or any other safety helmet, such as those worn whenriding motorcycles or other vehicles.

To use the present invention, a user first opens the cover so as toexpose the storage compartment. Then, he or she places an object withinthe storage compartment and closes the cover. Finally, he or she usesthe securing means to retain the cover in the closed position.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the following detailed description inconjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and describedillustrative embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description, reference will be made to theattached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of a first embodiment of a helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with an opencover;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 without straps;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a storage compartmentof the present invention having an object located therein;

FIG. 6 is a perspective plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing asecuring means; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminologyused in reference to the numbered components in the drawings is asfollows:

1. helmet with built-in storage compartment, generally 2. exterior shell3. front portion 4. rear portion 5. first side 6. second side 7. storagecompartment 8. base 9. storage compartment first side 10. storagecompartment second side 11. storage compartment third side 12. storagecompartment fourth side 13. cover 14. cover top surface 15. cover bottomsurface 16. securing means 17. push button 18. hinge 19. notch 20. latch21. object 22. strap 23. interior shell 24. helmet 25. padding 26.cushion 27. flange

With reference to FIG. 1, a side plan view of a first embodiment of ahelmet with built-in storage compartment is shown. The helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment, generally 1 includes a helmet 24 and astorage compartment 7 housed within the helmet 24. The helmet 24, whichmay be any safety helmet used for work or non-work purposes, typicallyincludes a rigid exterior shell 2 having a front portion 3, a rearportion 4, a first side 5 and a second side 6 (shown in FIG. 2). Thehelmet 24 may also include at least one strap 22 for securing the helmet24 on a person's head. A cover 13 is preferably located on top of thehelmet 24 and, when in a closed position, covers the storage compartment7. The cover 13 is maintained in a closed position via a securing means16 which, when activated, permits a user to access the storagecompartment 7 to rest at least one object, such as a cellular telephone,keys, money, identification, etc., within the storage compartment 7 on astorage compartment base 8.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1. The cover 13is preferably secured to the helmet 24 via at least one hinge 18 so asto permit opening and closing of the cover 13. The securing means 16,which is preferably a recessed push button 17 located adjacent to thecover 13, permits a user to retain the cover 13 in a closed positionagainst the exterior shell 2.

With reference to FIG. 3, a side plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1with an open cover is shown. The cover 13, has a cover top surface 14,which is preferably sized and shaped so as to be streamlined with thehelmet 24 when the cover 13 is closed, and an opposing cover bottomsurface 15. When the cover 13 is closed, the cover bottom surface 15encapsulates the storage compartment 7. The cover 13 also includes acover front surface 28 which preferably has a notch 19 located therein.When the cover 13 is open, a user is able to access the storagecompartment 7 so as to place at least one object 21 within the storagecompartment 7.

Next, FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 withoutstraps. The helmet 24 includes an interior shell 23, which is alsopreferably made of a rigid material, adapted to engage a head of theuser. The helmet 24 may also include padding 25 located adjacent to theinterior shell 23 so as to make wearing of the helmet 24 morecomfortable. If padding 25 is used, the base 8 of the storagecompartment 7 is located between the padding 25 and the interior shell23 so as to prevent the user from hitting his/her head against the base8 of the storage compartment 7.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a storagecompartment of the present invention having an object located therein.The object 21, which is shown herewith as a cellular telephone, ishoused within the storage compartment 7. The storage compartment 7preferably has a storage compartment first side 9, a storage compartmentsecond side 10, a storage compartment third side 11 and a storagecompartment fourth side 12. The sides 9, 10, 11 and 12 extend upwardlyfrom the storage compartment base 8 so as to intersect with the exteriorshell 2 of the helmet 24, thereby forming the storage compartment 7. Anoptional cushion 26 may be located on the base 8, on the cover bottomsurface 15 and along the sides 9, 10, 11 and 12 so as to provide extraprotection of the object(s) 21 contained within the storage compartment7

FIG. 6 shows a perspective plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showinga securing means. The securing means 16 is preferably a recessed pushbutton 17 with moveable latch 20 located on the helmet 24 adjacent tothe cover 13. At least one notch 19 is located on the cover frontsurface 28 wherein the notch 19 is sized and shaped for the acceptanceof the moveable latch 20. When the push button 17 is pressed, the latch20 retracts from the notch 19, thereby unlocking the cover 13 from thehelmet 24. Because the cover 13 is preferably secured to the helmet 24in such a manner as to raise the cover 13 a predetermined distance abovethe exterior shell 2 when the push button 17 is pressed, the user mayopen the cover 13 and place at least one object 21 within the storagecompartment 7.

Finally, FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of ahelmet with built-in storage compartment of the present invention. Thehelmet 24, which may be in the form of a construction helmet, includesan alternate securing means 16 wherein a rotatable flange 27 is used.The flange 27, which is secured to the exterior shell 2, is positionedover a portion of the cover 13 in order to retain the cover 13 in aclosed position. When the rotatable flange 27 is no longer positionedover a portion of the cover 13, the cover 13 is able to be lifted,thereby exposing the storage compartment 7.

The use of the present invention will permit a user to carry variousobjects, such as cellular telephones, keys, money, etc. within a storagecompartment located within a helmet.

It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific formor arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparentto those skilled in the art that various changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention and the invention is not beconsidered limited to what is shown and described in the specificationand drawings.

1. A helmet with built-in storage compartment comprising: a helmethaving an exterior shell and an interior shell; said interior shelladapted to engage a head of a user; said helmet having a front portion;said helmet having a rear portion; said helmet having a first side andan opposing second side; at least one storage compartment locatedbetween said exterior shell and said interior shell wherein said atleast one storage compartment is predeterminedly sized andpredeterminedly shaped; said at least one storage compartment having abase; said at least one storage compartment having at least one sideextending from said base which intersect with said exterior shell; acover secured to said helmet exterior shell and predeterminedly sizedand shaped so as to substantially cover said at least one storagecompartment; said cover having a top surface and a bottom surface; and asecuring means for retaining said cover in a closed position.
 2. Thehelmet with built-in storage compartment of claim 1 wherein: said coveris hingedly secured to said exterior shell.
 3. The helmet with built-instorage compartment of claim 1 wherein: said securing means is arotatable flange secured to said exterior shell such that said rotatableflange is positioned over said cover in order to retain said cover in aclosed position.
 4. The helmet with built-in storage compartment ofclaim 2 wherein: said securing means is a rotatable flange secured tosaid exterior shell such that said rotatable flange is positioned over aportion of said cover in order to retain said cover in a closedposition.
 5. The helmet with built-in storage compartment of claim 1wherein: said securing means is at least one push button located on saidexterior shell adjacent to said cover; said at least one push buttonhaving a moveable latch which is retracted upon depressing said at leastone push button; said cover has a front surface; and at least one notchlocated on said cover front surface sized for the acceptance of saidmovable latch; wherein said movable latch is located within said atleast one notch in order to retain said cover in a closed position. 6.The helmet with built-in storage compartment of claim 2 wherein: saidsecuring means is at least one push button located on said exteriorshell adjacent to said cover; said at least one push button having amoveable latch which is retracted upon depressing said at least one pushbutton; said cover has a front surface; and at least one notch locatedon said cover front surface sized for the acceptance of said movablelatch; wherein said movable latch is located within said at least onenotch in order to retain said cover in a closed position.
 7. The helmetwith built-in storage compartment of claim 1 further comprising: apredetermined amount of cushion located on said base.
 8. The helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment of claim 2 further comprising: apredetermined amount of cushion located on said base.
 9. The helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment of claim 3 further comprising: apredetermined amount of cushion located on said base.
 10. The helmetwith built-in storage compartment of claim 4 further comprising: apredetermined amount of cushion located on said base.
 11. The helmetwith built-in storage compartment of claim 5 further comprising: apredetermined amount of cushion located on said base.
 12. The helmetwith built-in storage compartment of claim 6 further comprising: apredetermined amount of cushion located on said base.
 13. A helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment comprising: a helmet having an exteriorshell and an interior shell; said interior shell adapted to engage ahead of a user; said helmet having a front portion; said helmet having arear portion; said helmet having a first side and an opposing secondside; at least one storage compartment located between said exteriorshell and said interior shell wherein said at least one storagecompartment is predeterminedly sized and predeterminedly shaped; said atleast one storage compartment having a base; said at least one storagecompartment having at least one side extending from said base whichintersect with said exterior shell; a cover hingedly secured to saidhelmet exterior shell and predeterminedly sized and shaped so as tosubstantially cover said at least one storage compartment; said coverhaving a top surface and a bottom surface; said cover having a frontsurface; a securing means for retaining said cover in a closed position;at least one push button located on said exterior shell adjacent to saidcover; said at least one push button having a moveable latch which isretracted upon depressing said at least one push button; and at leastone notch located on said cover front surface sized for the acceptanceof said movable latch; wherein said movable latch is located within saidat least one notch in order to retain said cover in a closed position.14. The helmet with built-in storage compartment of claim 13 furthercomprising: a predetermined amount of cushion located on said base. 15.A helmet with built-in storage compartment comprising: a helmet havingan exterior shell and an interior shell; said interior shell adapted toengage a head of a user; said helmet having a front portion; said helmethaving a rear portion; said helmet having a first side and an opposingsecond side; at least one storage compartment located between saidexterior shell and said interior shell wherein said at least one storagecompartment is predeterminedly sized and predeterminedly shaped; said atleast one storage compartment having a base; said at least one storagecompartment having four sides extending from said base which intersectwith said exterior shell; a cover hingedly secured to said helmetexterior shell and predeterminedly sized and shaped so as tosubstantially cover said at least one storage compartment; said coverhaving a top surface and a bottom surface; said cover having a frontsurface, a rear surface and two opposing side surfaces; a securing meansfor retaining said cover in a closed position; at least one push buttonlocated on said exterior shell adjacent to said cover; said at least onepush button having a moveable latch which is retracted upon depressingsaid at least one push button; and at least one notch located on saidcover front surface sized for the acceptance of said movable latch;wherein said movable latch is located within said at least one notch inorder to retain said cover in a closed position.
 16. The helmet withbuilt-in storage compartment of claim 15 further comprising: apredetermined amount of cushion located on said base.
 17. A method ofusing a helmet with built-in storage compartment comprising a helmethaving an exterior shell and an interior shell; said interior shelladapted to engage a head of a user; said helmet having a front portion;said helmet having a rear portion; said helmet having a first side andan opposing second side; at least one storage compartment locatedbetween said exterior shell and said interior shell wherein said atleast one storage compartment is predeterminedly sized andpredeterminedly shaped; said at least one storage compartment having abase; said at least one storage compartment having at least one sideextending from said base which intersect with said exterior shell; acover secured to said helmet exterior shell and predeterminedly sizedand shaped so as to substantially cover said at least one storagecompartment; said cover having a top surface and a bottom surface; and asecuring means for retaining said cover in a closed position, saidmethod comprising the steps of: a. opening said cover to expose said atleast one storage compartment; b. inserting an object into said at leastone storage compartment; and c. closing said cover to conceal said atleast one storage compartment.
 18. The method of claim 17 furthercomprising a step after step c of: d. securing said cover to retain saidcover in said closed position.